In watercraft, especially those which require on-deck activity such as sailboats, it is necessary to provide minimum deck obstruction or clutter while still providing effective ventilation for cabin space or any below deck area. Hitherto, good ventilation has been obtained by diverse means, such as by means of the well-known Dorade boxes, which comprise vertically upstanding funnel-like members directed forwardly of the boat or ship and into which air is funneled by relative wind and the forward motion of the craft for conduction therethrough to a point below decks.
On ocean liners or relatively larger power craft, the provision of upstanding Dorade boxes or equivalent ventilating means does not present a significant obstruction problem. On smaller craft or those calling for deck activity such as sailboats, relatively unobstructed deck space is at a premium. It is readily evident that untoward obstructions mounted thereon provide a clear hazard to crew or other personnel who of necessity must walk or move over the deck in handling lines or equipment or otherwise attending to proper shipboard techniques. In like manner, unnecessary upstanding projections in the nature of Dorade boxes not only present a hazard to the legs or the feet of crewmen but also provide an unwanted source of entanglement of lines by virtue of the upstanding and funnel-like nature thereof.